Sun 8/6 @ 8PM
The first thing almost everyone says when you bring up Jehova Waitresses, the quirky Cleveland-based folk-rock quartet from the ’90s, is “Oh, I LOVE the name!” But the band was as interesting as its name. They were one of the most inventive of a wave of talented folk rock bands who comprised one of Cleveland’s most promising music scenes of the early-mid ’90s, many of whom emerged from the local Sound of the Sea Records and its 1991 compilation They Showered Us With Beads and Flowers. (Their track was the jaunty “Listen Anyway.”)
The group’s core members were husband and wife Kevin and Linda Roy, who both played guitar, sang and wrote songs. They were supported by drummer Jeff Harmon, violinist Janice Fields and a succession of bass players, including Sounds of the Sea proprietor Alan Grandy. During its tenure from 1989-1996, Jehova Waitresses released three albums: Hard Up for Innocence (1990), Shake Your Buddha (1993) and Perfect Impossible (1994), packed with memorable and ingratiating tunes, driven by the potent vocal harmonies possible in a band where all five members sang.
Alas, they met the fate of so many other excellent Cleveland bands of the era. Despite record labels scouring the country looking for the next Seattle, virtually no one progressed to the next level. Eventually the Roys moved to the east coast, where they now live.
Now, welcome them back! Recently, they went back in the studio with Harmon, Grandy and Fields and recorded a brand-new album Route 5. They’ll debut it at a show at Brothers Lounge where they’ll play new tunes along with some of the old favorites. The Thor Platter Band opens.
Cleveland, OH 44107
One Response to “90s Cleveland Folk Rockers Jehova Waitresses Are Back With a New Album at Brothers Lounge”
Hank Wait
Yay!